Fate Unown
by Ilex the Elder
Summary: Professor Oak must help save the woman he loves from clutches of Entei and the Unown.
1. Chapter 1

It was a typical morning in the Ketchum household. Delia had just finished her morning chores and was settling down with a cup of tea to watch the news while Mimie merrily swept the floor. 

"The mysterious disappearance of Professor Spencer Hale and the crystalline entity that has appeared outside his Greenfield mansion tops our stories today."

A wave of shock ran through Delia.

__

Spencer? Oh, no!

She quickly ran to the refrigerator door and started yanking off memos, old shopping lists, and other bits of paper until she found what she was looking for. 

"How much more can Spencer go through?" she agonized as she located the picture she was searching for. It was a picture of Spencer, his wife Elizabeth, and their daughter Molly. Standing next to the Hales was another family: Ash, Professor Oak, and Delia. 

Many years ago, both Spencer and Delia had been graduate students at Professor Oak's lab. They were old friends and Delia had been thrilled to see Spencer again after so many years. Shortly after she had started working at the lab, Delia's husband left her for his ex-girlfriend. After his departure, Spencer had tried to pursue a relationship with Delia, but Samuel was the man who had won her heart. 

Delia lifted the first picture to reveal another one. This one was even older than the first one, taken while she was a student at the lab. It had been taken the day Spencer had departed for a six-week expedition with Professor Alder, an expert in legendary Pokémon.

While Spencer was gone, Samuel and Delia had given into their mutual longing for each other. That night of passion nine months later resulted in the birth of one Ash Ketchum. But they couldn't tell anyone their secret. If word ever got out that Professor Oak had slept with one of his students and gotten her pregnant, the resulting scandal would destroy his career. And Delia couldn't live with herself knowing that she was responsible for that. 

But Spencer knew. He was the only other person who knew their secret. He had figured it out when he returned from his expedition. Shortly thereafter, he left the lab for good to become Professor Alder's research assistant. While he was working for Professor Alder, Spencer met another graduate student named Elizabeth Deschamps. She was working on her Ph.D. in archaeology and Spencer was immediately smitten. They married the following year and settled in Pallet Town for a couple of years after getting their respective degrees. Even though they now lived in Greenfield in Johto with their daughter Molly, they stopped by to visit Delia and Ash once in a while. That was, until a little over two years ago when Elizabeth disappeared while on an archaeological expedition. Spencer was heartbroken and tried the best he could to raise Molly on his own, often calling Delia for advice. He had even called her last week about Molly's refusal to eat any foods that were green.

"I don't know what I'm going to do with her, Delia. She's got to eat her vegetables."

"Don't worry about it, Spencer. It's a stage that most kids go through."

"Did Ash ever do this?"

"Well, no. I've never had a problem with Ash refusing food."

Spencer smiled. 

Delia continued. "One thing you might want to try is blending in the green stuff with food of another color. You could puree spinach or broccoli into spaghetti sauce and she'd never notice. Or you could go crazy with food coloring and turn her green beans red or blue or some other wild color. Ash used to like when I'd turn his mashed potatoes orange or purple."

Spencer laughed. "I'll have to tell the cook about that. Maybe I'll give purple mashed potatoes a try tonight at dinner! Thanks, Delia."

"Good luck, Spencer. Give Molly a hug for me."

"I will. Tell Ash that whenever he's in Greenfield he and his friends are more than welcome to stop by."

"I'll do that. Bye, Spencer."

"Good-bye, Delia. And thanks again."

__

Poor Spencer, she thought as she hung up the phone. _Even with all of those servants, he still needs someone to help him raise Molly._

Spencer had been thinking the same thing. Even though he knew that Delia still loved Samuel, there were often times when he wished that things had worked out differently between them. The other night he had even dreamed that he and Delia had gotten married and were raising Molly together.

Molly's tugging at his sleeve interrupted his thoughts. "What are you thinking about, Papa?"

"Oh, just thinking about an old friend, Molly," he said as he swept his daughter up in his arms. "Come on. Let's go talk to the cook about dinner tonight!"


	2. Chapter 2

Professor Oak and his assistant, Tracey, had been in the middle of analyzing Spencer's research notes when Delia came rushing into the lab.

"Have you seen the news about Greenfield?"

"I'm going there. This may be connected with Spencer's research."

"I'm going with you," Delia declared. 

__

Oh, no. Not again. 

The last time he had taken Delia with him on a trip, they had nearly been killed in a helicopter crash in the Orange Islands. Well, this time he was going to put his foot down and absolutely refuse to let her come with him. He wasn't going to risk losing her again. As he opened his mouth, her worried eyes met his.

__

Oh, Delia, don't look at me like that. You know I can't refuse you when you look at me with those eyes.

"You've known Spencer since you were a schoolgirl, haven't you?"

"I'm worried about him. And I'm worried about Molly," she continued.

Even though he and Delia had been lovers for years, Samuel was somewhat envious of the close friendship Delia had with Spencer. Especially more so now that Spencer's wife was gone.

"So am I, Delia. So am I." Even though he tried to disguise it, the jealousy in his voice was evident.

Tracey watched the entire scene with fascination. Even though he didn't let on, he knew all about Professor Oak and Mrs. Ketchum's relationship. Even though they tried to be discreet, one morning he had awakened early and saw Delia sneaking out of his boss's bedroom.

"Come on, then. Let's get ready to go." Professor Oak turned to his assistant. "Tracey, you're in charge until we get back."

"Don't worry, Professor. I'll take care of everything while you're gone."

---

During the long ride to Greenfield, Delia, lost in thought, stared out the car window.

"What's on your mind, Delia?"

"Molly. First her mother disappears, and now Spencer." 

"Don't worry, Delia. We'll get Spencer back somehow." He stared at the road for a few moments, debating whether or not to tell her what was on his mind. Her reaction to Spencer's disappearance had brought the suspicion that had always been in the back of his mind to the forefront.

__

Damn it, I have to know.

"Delia," he continued, "even though you and Spencer are good friends, was there ever something more between you?"

Delia stared at him. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, were the two of you ever…involved?"

Delia's face turned red.

__

Oh, no. Oh, Delia, please don't tell me what I think you're going to say.

"Samuel, do you remember when I found out when I was pregnant with Ash?"

"Yes." 

"I was so upset when you told me that the only reason that you wanted to marry me was because I was pregnant."

"Delia, that's not true…"

"Please let me finish, Samuel."

--- 

Spencer was packing, getting ready to leave Delia and the Oak Pokémon Research Laboratory. There was no reason for him to stay there now. The woman he had wanted was carrying another man's baby. 

As he tossed a pile of socks into a suitcase, there was a knock at the door of his apartment.

Spencer threw open the door and was surprised to see a frail-looking Delia standing on his doorstep.

"Delia? What are you doing here?"

"I…I…oh, Spencer, I don't know what I'm going to do," she gulped. "Can I please come in?"

"Sure. Of course." He guided her past the boxes and piles of clothes strewn on the floor and led her to the couch. Delia pushed aside a stack of papers and sat down. "Do you need anything, Delia? Something to drink? Do you feel like eating anything?"

"Maybe a couple of crackers if you have them. The doctor said that it helps keep the nausea down if you eat something."

"Sure." He started searching through the boxes on the kitchen floor, trying to remember where he had packed the crackers. "Uh, just a second…I'll find them eventually." He started rummaging through the cabinets and finally located a box of slightly stale saltines. "Here. They might be a little old, though."

"That's okay," Delia smiled slightly as he handed her the box. Spencer had always been such a good friend to her, looking out for her.

"Are you okay, Delia? What's the matter?" He threw the stack of papers on the floor and sat down beside her.

"Everything," she sighed as she nibbled on one of the stale crackers. "I'm pregnant. I'm going to have to move out of my apartment over the lab because pretty soon everyone will suspect that something's going on between me and Samuel. And, worst of all, he doesn't really want to marry me in the first place."

Spencer was incredulous. "He got you pregnant and he doesn't want to marry you? That son of a…"

"Wait, Spencer. It's not like that. He asked me, but I…I don't want him to feel like he has to do this just because I'm pregnant. Like I've trapped him."

"But you didn't deliberately set out to get pregnant…did you?"

Delia was stunned. "How can you say such a thing, Spencer? Of course I didn't! Why would I do such a thing?" She started to cry.

"Oh, Delia, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it." He took her in his arms. "That was a pretty stupid thing for me to say. I'm sorry." As he stroked her hair, he was overcome by a wave of sympathy for the pregnant woman crying in his arms. He gently kissed the top of her head. "Please don't cry, Delia. Everything will be all right." 

"Tell me that again, Spencer," she gulped as she nuzzled his neck.

"Everything will be all right, Delia. It will."

__

Oh, Delia, don't do this to me. You've broken my heart once already. 

Holding her in his arms, feeling her soft lips against his neck…he wanted her now more than ever.

Slowly, he lifted her chin and kissed her on the lips. "I'll take care of you, Delia. If he doesn't want you, I do. I've always wanted you."

Delia's eyes widened in surprise. 

"Let me take care of you, Delia," Spencer said as he kissed away the tears on her face. "You and the baby. I don't care if it's his or not." She shivered in pleasure as his kisses continued down her neck. "I'll make you happy, I promise. Marry me instead, Delia."

"Spencer? Are you crazy? I can't…oh, Spencer." His hands were now unbuttoning her shirt and his lips were working their way inside. 

"Marry me, Delia. I mean it. Oh, God, you're so beautiful. He's crazy for not wanting you."

Delia couldn't think straight anymore. All she wanted to do was forget the agony and tumult of the last few days: the morning sickness and the subsequent revelation that she was pregnant, the disappointment that Samuel had asked her to marry him out of obligation and not love, Spencer announcing that he was leaving, worrying about where she was going to live and how she was going to support herself and a baby on her own. 

"Oh, Spencer…"

--- 

"You _slept_ with him?" They had parked by the side of the road after Samuel had nearly swerved off of the highway. "Oh, Delia, why didn't you tell me?" He closed his eyes and leaned against the steering wheel.

"I'm sorry, Samuel. So sorry. It happened just that one time. I was so upset, and Spencer…he asked me to marry him."

Samuel's head shot up. "He did WHAT?"

"Well, what did you expect?" Delia shot back. "He loved me, too. He said that if you didn't want to take care of me, he would."

"But, damn it, Delia, I did! I asked you to marry me!"

"We've been through this before a thousand times, Samuel. You only asked me because I was pregnant. And I was so upset, so disappointed, so sad." She bit her lip. "I thought you didn't really love me."

"Oh, Delia, no! That's not true." 

"But that wasn't how it seemed at the time."

--- 

Afterwards, the two lay in the small bed in Spencer's room. One unexpected pleasure of being pregnant was the heightened sensation during lovemaking. And Spencer had reveled in Delia's newfound pleasure. Delia dozed blissfully, the first decent sleep she had had since learning she was pregnant. Spencer studied her peaceful face and imagined waking up every morning to that vision for the rest of his life. Overcome by a wave of love, he leaned over and tenderly kissed her cheek.

Delia stirred. "Samuel…" she murmured sleepily.

Spencer felt as if he'd been kicked in the face by Hitmonlee.

__

Spencer, you really are a fool. 

--- 

When Delia awoke many hours later, she saw that the place in the bed next to her was empty. Wrapping herself in a blanket, she padded into the kitchen and saw Spencer packing up items in boxes.

"Spencer?"

Startled by her voice, he turned. "Oh. Hi, Delia," he said without much enthusiasm and continued his packing. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes. I haven't slept that well in days. Guess I needed it."

"That's good." Not looking at her, he grabbed a handful of forks and flung them into another box. 

__

He's deliberately trying to ignore me, thought Delia as she watched Spencer go about his work. _But why?_

She spoke up. "Spencer, did you mean what you said earlier?"

"About what?"

"About wanting to marry me."

Spencer stopped packing and looked at her. She looked so young and vulnerable with her hair down and wrapped in that blanket, bare feet and all. He was almost tempted to say 'yes', but he couldn't forget what she had said earlier.

Spencer sighed. "Do you remember what you told me earlier about not wanting to marry Samuel because he didn't really love you?"

Delia's face fell. "Yes."

"Well, I don't want to marry someone who doesn't love me, either."

Delia was puzzled by his response. "Spencer? What are you talking about?"

"Delia," he said quietly. "I overheard you. You said his name while you were sleeping."

The wounded look in his eyes was almost too much for her to bear. 

__

Oh, Spencer. I'm sorry. All I do is hurt you. You've always been so good to me and all I do is break your heart.

"I think you should go home, Delia. He's probably wondering where you are. Besides, I need to finish packing. Professor Alder is expecting me the day after tomorrow." Spencer turned away from her and stuffed a roll of paper towels into another moving box. 

Delia opened her mouth to speak, but realized that nothing she said would be of any consolation to him. Not after what he had just told her. With a heavy heart, she went back into the bedroom to find her clothes.

Spencer had finished packing in the kitchen and had moved into the living room when Delia, fully dressed, emerged from the bedroom. 

"I'm going now," she said quietly.

"Okay," he said, not bothering to look up from his work. "Take care of yourself."

__

Spencer, please don't shut me out like this. I still want to be your friend. Whether you believe it or not, I'll always care for you. 

"You too. Well, I'll see you around, I guess." Delia sadly regarded her friend one last time and reached for the doorknob.

As the sound of the doorknob turning, he looked up. 

__

I can't let her leave. Not like this. Despite everything that's happened, I still love her.

"Wait, Delia." He jumped up to embrace her. "I…I just want to let you know that if you ever need anything, anything at all, you can always call on me. I'll always be there for you."

"Oh, Spencer," she said as tears started in her eyes. "I'll always be your friend, too. Always."

---

"And that's exactly what happened between us, Samuel."

"I see." He started the car again. "Well, we'd better get going," he said quietly. "They're expecting us in Greenfield. We're already running late."

They drove the rest of the way in silence.


	3. Chapter 3

"I hope you can help us find him, Professor Oak," the driver said while they were on their way to the Greenfield Pokémon Center. "Everyone in Greenfield is hoping for Professor Hale's safe return." 

"Don't worry, I'll do what I can to help Molly and Professor Hale."

Even though it was so slight that no one else picked up on it, Delia could hear the tone of resentment in his voice as he said the name "Professor Hale".

"Do you think the information that Spencer left with his assistant contains any information about the crystal that's surrounding his house?"

"Don't worry about that, Delia. Skylar and I will take care of that. Leave the research to us." 

She gave him a dirty look. _Damn you, Samuel. You're doing it again_. 

After fourteen years together, she knew his moods all too well. And she knew that whenever he was angry or upset, he would bury himself in his work and shut himself off from everything and everyone – including her. And she also knew that no matter what she said or did, nothing would pull him out of his shell until he was good and ready. She'd just have to ride it out. Fuming, she turned away from him and stared out the window. 

As they pulled up to the Pokémon Center, she spied a familiar face. "Ash!"

--- 

After exchanging greetings, Delia, Ash, Brock, and Misty decided to have some lunch on the patio behind the Pokémon Center. As Delia carried a tray of sandwiches outside, she stopped by the computer where Samuel and Skylar were analyzing some data that Spencer had collected on the Unown.

"Excuse me. I hate to interrupt you, but we're going to have some lunch outside. Do you want to join us?"

"Oh, no thanks, Mrs. Ketchum. But it's very nice of you to ask," Skylar said as he smiled at Professor Oak's pretty companion.

She addressed the other occupant of the computer's workstation. "Do you want anything?"

Not bothering to look up, he waved his hand dismissively. "No. We've got work to do."

Suppressing the urge to throw one of the sandwiches in his face, she gathered up her tray.

Well, it was worth a try, she thought as she went outside. That man could be so stubborn and hard-headed sometimes; she knew exactly where Ash got those traits from.

A few minutes later, the sound of yelling interrupted Professor Oak's train of thought.

"Skylar, will you go see why Ash and his friends are making so much noise? I can't concentrate with all that racket."

Skylar looked out of the window just in time to see Delia walking towards a huge, red-brown doglike Pokémon on the patio. "Professor Oak! Come take a look at this!"

__

Now what, he thought as he got up from his computer to join Skylar at the window. _I'm never going to get any work done with these constant interruptions._

"All right, Skylar, what is…." He stopped in mid-sentence as he watched Delia collapse onto Entei's back and the Pokémon took off in the direction of the crystal tower. "Oh my God! Delia!" He knocked over Skylar as he raced outside just in time to see Ash and his friends disappear around the corner. Running as fast as he could, he turned the corner and saw Pikachu being thrown to the ground after trying to grab Entei's tail. As he raced past, he saw a pair of reporters capturing the entire scene on film. He stopped for an instant in disbelief and yelled at them. "Don't just stand there! Help us get her back!" But it was too late. As Professor Oak caught up to Ash and his friends, Entei had already spirited Delia away to the crystal tower.

"I couldn't save her! She's gone!" Ash cried as he slammed his fist into the crystal at the base of the tower.

Professor Oak stared in disbelief at the distraught boy.

__

I couldn't save her either. I couldn't save Delia. 

Brock knelt down and took Ash's arm. "Come on, Ash. Let's go figure out a way to get your mom back. Getting angry won't help anything."

Ash pulled his arm away from Brock's grasp. "No! I've got to go save my mom!" Ash made a desperate attempt to jump over the crystal, but Professor Oak grabbed his other arm.

"Brock's right, Ash. Getting yourself hurt won't help your mother." Even though part of him wanted to join Ash and leap over the crystal to the tower, Professor Oak knew that he had to keep calm. 

__

Come on, Samuel. You've got to keep a level head about you. Now that Delia's gone, it's your responsibility to take care of the boy. He's your son, too.

"What are we going to do, Professor Oak? Entei's got my mom!" a near-hysterical Ash wailed as tears streamed down his face.

Professor Oak gave Ash a quick hug, not caring what the others thought about the unusual display of affection. This crying boy was his son, his and Delia's, and needed someone to comfort him. And who better to console Ash than his father?

"Don't worry, Ash. We'll get her back. Let's head back to the Pokémon Center and see what we can do."

--- 

"Can't you work any faster, Professor Oak?" Ash was hovering over his shoulder and practically breathing down his neck.

"Ash, I'm trying as fast as I can." Professor Oak quickly scrolled through Professor Hale's notes, then clicked on one of the hyperlinks. "Ah."

"What, Professor?" Ash asked.

"The Pokémon that took your mother was Entei."

While everyone crowded around the computer to study the images of Entei, the same thought kept running nonstop through Ash's and Professor Oak's minds:

__

No matter what it takes, I'm going to get her back.

As the research team continued their work and darkness fell, an e-mail from an angry Molly Hale arrived. The little girl informed everyone that she and her mama and papa were back together again and that everyone should leave them alone.

"Did she just say her mother and father were with her?" exclaimed a disbelieving Professor Oak.

"Very strange." _She's probably under some sort of mind control from the Unown,_ he deduced as he closed the e-mail. 

"Professor Oak," Misty spoke up. "When Entei took Mrs. Ketchum, he said that she was 'mama'. Do you think that's what Molly meant?"

"That's it!" Ash shouted. "Entei took Mom so that Molly could have a mom again! Mom said that Mrs. Hale's been gone for a couple of years."

"Professor, do you think Molly really believes that Entei is her papa and Mrs. Ketchum is her mother?" Brock asked.

"It would appear so, Brock. I believe that Molly's under some sort of mind control from the Unown. They can sense the thoughts of humans and Pokémon and can use them to create alternate realities."

"The tiles," Skylar gasped. "Molly was playing with the tiles of the Unown that Professor Hale and I had discovered when all this started."

"Let's do some more digging, Skylar. There must be something more in these research notes of his." Professor Oak turned his attention back to the computer.

Ash fumed. _This is taking too long! I've got to go do something now!_

While everyone was engrossed in the information being displayed on the computer screen, Ash sneaked out of the Pokémon Center and started towards the crystal tower. Misty, discovering that Ash had disappeared, poked her head out of the door of the Pokémon Center and saw him heading down the road.

__

Ash, you idiot.

Misty grabbed Brock's arm. "Come on, Brock. Ash is being Ash again."


	4. Chapter 4

As Lisa wandered back into the Pokémon Center, Professor Oak and Skylar were still huddled around the computer. Suddenly, a portion of a news report caught their eye. As the three watched a dark-haired boy scale the wall of the Hale mansion, a thrill of anger shot through Professor Oak when he realized who the boy was. 

"What's he…? That boy's looking for trouble!" Professor Oak raged. And he didn't mean just from Entei. When Ash got back, he was going to give his son a major tongue-lashing. 

__

Damn you, Ash! Damn your stupid, impulsive, reckless behavior! You're going to get yourself killed!

"He's looking for his mother!" Lisa shot back.

Professor Oak turned the full force of his anger on the girl. "Did you know about this? Did you know that Ash was going off by himself?"

Shocked into silence by his outburst, Lisa stood gaping open-mouthed at Professor Oak. 

"Did you? Answer me!"

"Yes," Lisa said meekly. "But I gave him my Poké gear so he could stay in touch with me."

"Call Ash now," Professor Oak ordered. 

Hands shaking, Lisa quickly dialed the number of her Poké gear cell phone. "It's ringing."

As soon as Ash answered, Professor Oak snatched the phone out of Lisa's hands. "Ash, we just saw you on TV. What do you think you're doing?"

__

Oh no, Ash thought as soon as he heard Professor Oak's voice. _I'm in big trouble now._

"Sorry. I just had to come here, Professor Oak," he apologized. "I should've told ya'."

"That's right, you should have! But we'll talk about that later…after you get your mother out of that place."

Since Ash and his friends were already inside the mansion, it wouldn't make much sense to tell them to come back now. After explaining his theory about the Unown to Ash, Professor Oak gave the phone back to Lisa and continued to watch the news report on the computer.

__

Ash, if you get out of this alive, I'm going to kill you.

---

As the evening wore on, Professor Oak continued his vigil in front of the computer, analyzing Professor Hale's notes. He wearily rubbed his eyes and stared at the computer's clock. It read two-fourteen A.M. He closed his eyes for a second to rest them and almost immediately fell asleep. As he looked up from the computer, he was amazed to see Delia standing in front of him.

__

Delia? How did you get away from Entei?

Delia said nothing, but smiled and opened her arms to him. He rushed into them and embraced her tightly, inhaling the sweet scent of her perfume as he nuzzled her neck. 

__

Oh, Delia, is it really you?

There was one way to find out. After being lovers for fourteen years, he knew every inch of her body intimately. He slowly removed her clothes as she smiled seductively, the smile that always excited him.

Yes, there was the small mole on her right shoulder blade.

__

Keep an eye on that, she would always tell him. _Make sure it's not getting any bigger._

Yes, there was the small surgical scar just below her navel.

__

It looks so ugly, she would always complain.

He reached up and cupped her breasts in his hands. He smiled as he felt that the left one was a little larger than the right. 

__

I know that's normal, but I'm a little self-conscious about it, she used to tell him when they first started sleeping together.

"Oh, Delia," he murmured.

"Professor?"

__

That's not Delia's voice.

He was startled awake by a hand shaking his shoulder. His eyes opened and he found himself staring at the computer's clock, which now read two twenty-six A.M.

"Sorry, Professor. I hated to wake you," said Skylar. "Do you need some coffee?" 

__

She's still a prisoner in the crystal tower, Professor Oak thought dejectedly as he realized that his encounter with the woman he loved had all been a dream. 

"Thank you, Skylar. I'll go get a cup." As he started to stand up, he discovered that even though his encounter with Delia hadn't been real, his body had responded as if it had been. "On second thought, could you bring me a cup, please, Skylar? I'd like to stay here and continue with my work." 

__

And because I'm not going to be able to move comfortably for a few minutes.

"Sure, Professor Oak."

As the younger man disappeared into the kitchen, Professor Oak rubbed his eyes and tried to refocus on his work. But all he could think about was Delia: her perfume, her smile, her body.

__

I'm going to get her back if it's the last thing I do, he vowed as he clicked the computer's mouse.

--- 

After several tense hours, the Poké gear phone rang. 

"Professor?"

__

Thank God he's still in one piece, Professor Oak thought as he picked up the phone.

"Something's happening," reported Ash with an edge of alarm in his voice.

"It's the Unown," replied an equally alarmed Professor Oak. "They've generated so much psychic energy that they're unable to control it any longer."

Skylar, who was busy looking out the window, gasped in horror. "The crystallization is heading straight this way!"

"Listen to me!" Professor Oak frantically ordered the boy. "Get out of there or you could be trapped forever!"

"Right!" Ash dropped the Poké gear cell phone and ran.

"Ash? Ash? Can you hear me?" Professor Oak said anxiously as the phone went dead. "Damn it!" He threw the phone across the room.

As everyone scrambled to their feet, Officer Jenny slammed open the front door of the Pokémon Center.

"You have to evacuate now! Move!" she ordered. 

As the occupants of the Pokémon Center raced out of the building, Professor Oak was amazed to see the reporters from earlier standing outside, broadcasting the events live. 

Professor Oak rolled his eyes. _They're going to get themselves killed._

He interrupted the female reporter. "You can't stay here." 

The female reporter, who was more than a little annoyed at having the greatest story of her career interrupted, turned to Professor Oak to give him a piece of her mind. She quickly changed her mind when she saw the pink crystal bearing down on her with incredible speed.

"Right, let's go!" she told her cameraman. 

Professor Oak ushered everyone into his SUV and hit the accelerator. Several minutes later, the Pokémon Center evacuees were watching the crystal from the relative safety of the hill overlooking the town. Officer Jenny was examining the tower through her binoculars.

"Can you see anything?" Professor Oak asked as he hovered next to her shoulder.

"No. Oh, wait! I see something."

"What is it?" Skylar asked.

"Hey!" Office Jenny exclaimed as Professor Oak snatched the binoculars out of her hands. As he readjusted the focus and peered at the crystal tower, hoping to see any sign of Delia or Ash, the crystal began to recede.

"What's happening?" asked Nurse Joy.

"The crystal. It's disappearing!" exclaimed Professor Oak in amazement.

The astonished group on the hill watched as the crystal rapidly vanished and the Hale mansion returned to its original state. 

As the sun started to appear on the horizon a few moments later, Professor Oak handed the binoculars back to Officer Jenny and jumped into his car.

"Come on! Let's go see if they're all right!"


	5. Chapter 5

His heart leapt at the sight of Delia waving from the porch of the Hale mansion. He quickly jumped out of the car and was immediately surrounded by Ash and his friends.

"Professor Oak, you wouldn't believe what we saw…"

"And then Molly and Ash's mom…"

"Entei was able to break the force field and then we…"

Even though he was happy to see Ash, Misty, and Brock again, the one person he wanted to make certain was all right was Delia. Professor Oak held up his hands, motioning for silence.

"Listen, I know you're all excited and have a lot to tell me about what happened in there, but first I want to go talk to Mrs. Ketchum. Besides, Officer Jenny needs to speak with all of you."

"Officer Jenny?" A love-struck Brock raced over to her and took her hand. "Officer Jenny, I'll tell you everything about Entei, then you can tell me everything about you!"

Misty grabbed his ear and dragged him away. "I'm going to tell you a thing or two, mister. Come on."

As Ash followed his friends over to Officer Jenny, Samuel bounded up the stairs to where Delia stood. Even though he desperately wanted to embrace her, to touch her again, he wasn't going to make a scene in front of a bunch of people. Taking her arm, he spoke loudly enough for everyone to overhear.

"Why don't we go inside and you can tell me all about everything that happened? I'm sure you have valuable information to share about Entei."

Delia smiled as they opened the door to the mansion. Once inside the hall, Samuel quickly shut the door and embraced Delia so tightly that she could barely breathe.

"Oh, Delia, thank God you're safe. I was so afraid I'd never see you again, hold you again." He could barely control himself as he kissed her.

"It's all right, Samuel. I'm all right," she said reassuringly as she wrapped her arms around him. 

"Let me look at you." He stepped back from her and took her face in his hands. "Are you hurt? Did Entei harm you in any way?"

"No, Samuel. I'm fine." 

"Thank God." He kissed her again, this time with unrestrained passion. The realization that he had nearly lost her had made him realize just how much he loved her. Now he was never going to let her go again. He wanted to touch her all over, to make sure she really was there and not some illusion. Out of the corner of his eye, he searched for a couch, a sofa, anything. There was a couch in the adjacent sitting room, but to his dismay he saw that it was directly in front of a huge picture window. He desperately wanted to make love to her, but he wasn't about to give everyone outside a free show. Spying a darkened alcove off of the main hall, he pulled her inside it. 

"I want you now, Delia." His voice was insistent as he unbuttoned her sweater.

"Now? What if someone comes looking for…oh, Samuel." His hands were already wandering upward inside her shirt.

"Right now, I don't care. You're all that matters to me now." As she started to undo his belt, they were both startled by the sound of voices outside. 

"Did anyone see where my mom went?"

"I think she and Professor Oak are inside, talking."

"Hey, Mom? Are you in there?"

Samuel quickly removed his hands as Delia pulled down her shirt. "Oh, no. It's Ash!"

Hastily, the pair tried to put themselves back in order. Samuel snatched Delia's sweater off of the marble floor and tossed it to her. 

"Wait," she hissed. "Your face." She quickly rubbed the lipstick marks off of his face as he fumbled with his belt.

As the voices and footsteps accompanying them grew louder, Delia tucked in her shirt, buttoned her sweater, and smoothed her hair. 

"Mom? Hey, Mom! Professor Oak!"

As the door latch rattled and the hinges began to squeak, Samuel and Delia emerged from the alcove. 

Ash's head emerged in the doorway. "Oh, there you are, Mom. Officer Jenny wants to talk to you."

"Tell her I'll be there in a minute, dear," Delia said brightly, trying to sound as normal as possible.

"Okay." As Ash's head disappeared, both Samuel and Delia exhaled a sigh of relief in unison.

"That was close," Delia said as she started down the hallway. Both jumped as Ash reappeared.

"Oh, sorry, Mom, Professor Oak. I didn't mean to startle you. Skyler said that he needed to talk to you, too."

"Okay, Ash. I'll go see them now." With a "sorry, sweetheart" glance at Samuel, Delia made her way to the door.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Mom," Ash said as he hugged his mother. 

"I'm glad you're all right, too, Ash," Delia said as she went outside.

__

That's weird, Ash thought as he turned to follow his mother out the door. _Mom kind of smells like aftershave._

"Just a second, Ash. I believe we have something to discuss, don't we?"

Ash turned around to face a scowling Professor Oak. 

Ash gulped. "Uh…discuss what, Professor?" 

"Let me refresh your memory. I believe I told you earlier that we were going to have a little talk about you not telling me that you were going to rescue your mother."

"Oh, that." Ash had hoped that Professor Oak would've forgotten about the previous incident. 

Professor Oak pointed in the direction of the sitting room. Ash reluctantly went into the room and sat down on the couch.

Professor Oak followed Ash into the room, folded his arms, and stood in front of the visibly cringing boy.

__

And now, Ash, I'm going to drill some sense into that stubborn head of yours. 

"Ash, even though you meant well by trying to rescue your mother, what you did was impulsive, foolish, and quite dangerous. You nearly got yourself, your friends, and your Pokémon killed. Can you give me a good reason for doing what you did?"

Ash was silent for a moment, trying to come up with a decent excuse.

"I'm waiting for an answer, Ash."

"I…I…well, you were taking too long! I didn't want to wait around doing nothing while Entei had my mom!"

"Doing _nothing_? Ash, I spent _hours_ going through Professor Hale's notes searching for any clues that might help get your mother back!"

"But you were taking too…"

Professor Oak cut him off. "Didn't you think that there may have been a reason why I was taking so long? You have to analyze the situation before you jump in headfirst. Damn it, Ash, you've always been too impulsive for your own good! You can't just go running off like you did without letting anyone know where you were going. What if something had happened to you while you were in the crystal tower? If it hadn't been for that television report, I wouldn't have had any idea where you had gone. I wouldn't have been able to help you."

"But Brock and Misty and Pikachu were with me," Ash protested weakly.

"And suppose something had happened to them? Then what would you have done?"

"I…I don't know."

"You were lucky that Lisa finally told me where you were, although I did give her a piece of my mind for withholding the information that you and your friends had left without telling me. At least she had enough sense to give you her Poké gear. And didn't you consider that maybe I wanted to come with you?"

Ash was surprised. "No, Professor Oak."

Professor Oak sighed in exasperation. "That's just it, Ash! You don't think! You just plunge headfirst into a situation without considering the consequences." He stared hard at Ash, who appeared to be sinking further and further down into his seat.

__

I'm sorry that I have to be so hard on you, but I don't know any other way to get it through that thick skull of yours. 

After a rather uncomfortable moment of silence, Professor Oak relented. "Look, Ash," he said in a more sympathetic tone, "your mother worries about you all the time."

__

And so do I.

"She's afraid that something's going to happen to you if you keep pulling these crazy stunts of yours." Professor Oak sat down in the chair next to Ash and pushed up the left sleeve of his lab coat to reveal a two-inch long scar on his forearm. "Do you see that scar, Ash?"

Ash nodded. "Yeah." 

"I wasn't much older than you, maybe fourteen or fifteen, when I got that. It was during my Pokémon training days. I was looking for new Pokémon to battle when I came upon what appeared to be a lone Houndour."

"But don't Houndour travel in packs?"

Professor Oak smiled. "I see that you have learned something during your journeys. Yes, you're right. But I didn't even think about that at the time. All I was interested in was getting that Houndour. Sound familiar, Ash?"

Ash smiled slightly and nodded.

"Being determined to capture as many new Pokémon as I could, I chased the Houndour until I had it cornered. Just as I was getting ready to give my Azulmarill the command to attack, I looked up and saw that we were surrounded by the rest of the Houndour pack. There must've been about fifteen or twenty of them."

"What did you do, Professor?"

"Ran like hell. But I wasn't fast enough and one of the Houndour caught me on the arm and pulled me to the ground. Just as the rest of the pack was closing in on us, another Pokémon trainer happened to show up. Her name was Agatha."

"Agatha? Of the Elite Four?"

"That's right. Together we were able to drive off the pack. I was lucky that I got out of that with just this scar." Professor Oak's face darkened. "Unfortunately, my Azulmarill wasn't as lucky."

"What do you mean, Professor?"

"Azulmarill tried as best as it could to keep the rest of the Houndour away from me, but there were just too many of them." Professor Oak's eyes met Ash's. "They mauled it, Ash."

Ash gasped. "Oh my God."

"And every day I have to live with the knowledge that because of my impulsive, irresponsible behavior, one of my Pokémon died. Died trying to save me. Every time I look at this scar, I think of Azulmarill." He pulled the sleeve of his lab coat back down and looked at Ash, who had his head bowed. "Are you all right, Ash?"

Ash quickly brushed away a tear with the back of his sleeve. "Yeah. I was just thinking about how horrible that must've been." He was imagining the cries of the wounded Pokémon as it tried desperately to escape the jaws of the savage dogs.

"It was, Ash. And the reason I'm telling you this is so that you won't ever have to go through what I did." 

He laid a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Just stop and think before jumping into things, all right?"

Ash nodded determinedly. "I will, Professor."

"Good." 

Delia stuck her head in the doorway. "Excuse me, but I think we're getting ready to head back to the Pokémon Center."

"Okay, Mom." Ash jumped up and went to rejoin his friends outside.

Delia went over to the chair where her lover sat. "What did you and Ash talk about?" 

"Oh, we had a little talk about being more responsible," he replied as he reached for her hand. "A little father-son chat."

Delia turned pale. "Samuel, you didn't…"

"No, Delia. I didn't tell him. But don't you think he has a right to know the truth?"

"We've discussed this before, Samuel. We're not going to tell him until he's an adult."

"I know, I know," he said as he glanced out the window at Ash and his friends. "But there are times like today when I'd like to tell him that I'm his father. That I'm proud of him. That I worry about him. That I wish I could be there for him."

"I know, Samuel. But that's the way it has to be right now. Come on, let's head back to the Pokémon Center."

"Just a second, Delia." He pulled her down into his lap.

"Samuel, what are you…"

"It's okay, Delia. No one will see us." He wrapped his arms around her and, closing his eyes, laid his head on her bosom. "Right now, I just want to hold you."

Delia started stroking his hair, tracing the few dark streaks in the gray with her fingertips.

"I'm sorry about everything, Delia. The car, the Pokémon Center. Everything." 

"I know, Samuel," she said as she pressed his head against her heart. "I know."


	6. Chapter 6

Once the group had returned to the Pokémon Center, the computer's video telephone started ringing. Nurse Joy tapped a button on the computer and a familiar face appeared.

"Nurse Joy? This is Professor Hale. Where is everyone? I tried to call my house, but no one answered."

"Papa!" Molly shrieked as she ran to the computer.

"Molly?" Spencer was overcome with joy at the sight of his daughter. "Oh, Molly. Are you all right?"

"I'm okay, Papa. Mama, I mean, Mrs. Ketchum took care of me while you were gone."

"Mrs. Ketchum?" 

Delia's face appeared on the screen behind Molly's. "Hello, Spencer."

"Delia? What are you doing there?"

"We came to help take care of Molly while you were away. She's fine, by the way. How are you?"

"A little shaken up, but otherwise I'm fine. Tell Molly that I'll be home tomorrow."

"Yippee!" Molly jumped up excitedly and hugged Delia.

During the entire telephone conversation, Samuel watched Delia interact with Spencer and Molly.

__

She seems so happy when she's talking to him. And Molly obviously loves her; that poor little girl really does need a mother. And Spencer's much closer in age to Delia, not an old man like me. Perhaps she really would be better off with him.

"Professor Hale?" Skylar peeped over Delia's shoulder.

"Skylar! Have I got a lot to tell you!" Spencer exclaimed at the sight of his research assistant.

While Skylar and Spencer chatted, Molly ran over to her butler and maid and eagerly informed them that her papa would be home tomorrow. Delia, noticing the serious expression on Samuel's face, went over to him.

"Everything all right, Samuel?"

__

This is going to be so hard for me to do. But it really will be the best thing for her.

"Delia, why don't we go outside for a moment?" He took her arm and led her outside to the patio. 

"Samuel, what's going on? Is something wrong?" Delia was concerned about the way he was acting.

"Delia, I've been doing some thinking about…well, about us."

"Samuel, you're starting to scare me when you talk like that. What's going on?" she demanded.

"It's just that…that…" 

__

Just say it and get it over with.

The words started tumbling out. "That maybe you'd be better off with Spencer. He loves you, Molly needs a mother, and you're obviously fond of him. He'll be able to provide for you more than I ever will. You won't have to worry about being left alone since he's much closer to your age than I am." He smiled ruefully. "He's probably much better in bed, too, since he's a lot younger than I am."

"Samuel, what the hell are you talking about?! Have you lost your mind?" Delia was enraged. "Are you still mad at me for telling you about what happened between me and Spencer? That was _one time_ and it was fourteen years ago!"

Samuel was stunned by her reaction. "No…no…it's just…" he stammered.

"Then why are you telling me that I'd be better off with Spencer?"

"Well, it's because…because it's probably true."

"Let _me_ be the one to decide that, Samuel. Not you!" Delia was livid.

"Wow, your mom's really mad at Professor Oak," Misty informed Ash as she looked out the window.

Brock peered over her shoulder. "Whoa, you're not kidding. I don't think I've ever seen your mom so angry, Ash."

Ash shrugged his shoulders. "Nahh. Mom yells at me like that all the time. Maybe he forgot to tell her where he was going or something like that. Girls can get so upset over the littlest things."

"What do you mean by that, Ash Ketchum?" Misty said as she smacked him on the head.

"Ow! Misty!" Ash ducked to avoid being hit by Misty's flying backpack.

"And let me tell you another thing, Professor Samuel Oak! It drives me absolutely crazy when you shut me out like you did in the car! Don't you see that I want to help you when you're mad or upset about something? But you just shut yourself off from the world and bury yourself in your work." Her voice took on a softer edge. "Samuel, I love you. Don't shut me out of your life. And as for Spencer." She took his hand in hers. "I'm always going to care for him. He and I are friends. But you're the man that I love."

"Oh, Delia. I love you, too." 

Ash and Misty were too busy fighting (with Brock trying to pull them apart) to notice Professor Oak and Delia kissing on the patio.

--- 

"Now be sure to stay out of trouble and call me as soon as you get to Goldenrod City." 

"Don't worry, Mom. I will." Ash, Brock, and Misty were preparing to continue their journey in Johto. 

"Don't worry, Mrs. Ketchum," Misty assured her. "I'll keep him in line."

Ash cringed, recalling how painfully Misty had clobbered him with her backpack earlier.

"Remember what we talked about, Ash," Professor Oak reminded the boy.

"I will, Professor. Oh yeah, one more thing." He took Professor Oak aside. "Could you keep an eye on my mom? Watch out for her while I'm gone? I get kind of worried about her sometimes."

Professor Oak, momentarily taken aback by Ash's surprising request, stammered, "Oh…um…well, I…" Finally, Professor Oak regained his composure. "I'd be happy to, Ash. Don't worry about a thing." He smiled in Delia's direction. "I'll take care of your mother."

"Great. Thanks, Professor."

"We'd better get going, guys. We want to make it to Goldenrod City before nightfall." Brock gathered up his backpack.

Professor Oak and Delia stood side by side and waved until the three teens were out of sight. 

As Ash's head disappeared around the bend, Samuel nudged Delia's arm. "Do you think Ash suspects that there's something going on between us?"

Delia smiled reassuringly. "Even if he does, he doesn't seem upset about it." She gathered up her things. "Come on, let's get back to Pallet."

As the two were heading down the road back to Pallet Town, they drove past a quaint-looking house.

"Greenfield Bed and Breakfast," Professor Oak noted as he read the sign.

"It's so lovely," Delia commented as she admired the roses cascading from the front porch. "Maybe one day we can come back here and stay for a couple of days."

Samuel stopped the car and backed up to the driveway of the pretty little inn. 

"Samuel? What are you…"

"You'll see," he said as he hopped out of the car and bounded up the front steps. 

"Can I help you?" asked the man at the front desk.

"How much is your best room?"

"Well, it's two-fifty per night…"

"Great. I'll take it." Samuel tossed his credit card to the innkeeper. Delia walked in just as the innkeeper was handing Samuel the keys.

"Samuel? What's going on?"

"Since we don't have to be back at Pallet Town right away, I decided to take your advice. Besides, we still have some unfinished business to take care of."

Delia knew that gleam in his eye all too well.

He extended his hand to her. "Let's go upstairs and check out suite number three."

"You really are impulsive sometimes," Delia giggled as she followed him up the stairs. "Now I know where Ash gets it from."

"You haven't seen impulsive yet, my dear," Samuel said as he whisked her inside the room and locked the door.

He made love to her with an urgency that surprised even her. 

She smiled as he traced the outline of the mole on her shoulder blade with the tip of his finger.

__

Everything's fine, he reassured her. 

She laughed as he kissed the scar on her belly. 

__

I love to hear you laugh, he told her.

She moaned in pleasure as he sank his fingers into the softness of her breasts, feeling that the left one was slightly fuller than the right.

__

You're absolutely perfect, he murmured.

Finally, once he was inside her, he swore to her that he would never let her go again.

__

Not now. Not ever.

Even now as he lay asleep next to her, his arm was wrapped tightly around her waist, keeping her close to him. 

__

Don't worry, Samuel, Delia smiled contentedly as she closed her eyes and snuggled against the man she loved. _I'll never leave you again. _

As the occupants of suite number three laid in blissful slumber, three teenagers were passing by a pretty little inn with climbing roses trailing along the front porch.

"Hey, isn't that Professor Oak's car?" Brock said, pointing in the direction of the driveway.

"Black SUV, 'POKEPROF' license plate. That's Professor Oak's, all right." Ash said. "Wonder what it's doing here?"

"Maybe Professor Oak and your mom stopped to get some lunch before heading back to Pallet Town," Misty commented as she sniffed one of the pink roses wrapped around one of the posts on the front porch.

"But the sign says 'bed and breakfast'. Not bed and lunch," Ash said with some confusion. "Maybe we should go see why they're here."

Brock, who had correctly deduced the real reason why Professor Oak and Mrs. Ketchum had stopped at the inn, grabbed Ash's arm as he started up the front steps. "Uh, that's okay, Ash. I think they're fine."

"Oh!" Misty had figured it out, too. "Yeah, Ash. Besides, we need to get going to Goldenrod City."

"But I'm hungry now," Ash whined. "Maybe we can join them for lunch."

Misty grabbed Ash's other arm. "Come on, Ash. I don't think they serve hamburgers and milkshakes here."

Brock studied the map. "There's a town up ahead, about five kilometers from here. They should have something to eat there."

"Besides," Misty said as she dragged Ash away. "You just ate twenty minutes ago."

And as the occupants of suite number three continued to sleep, the three teenagers continued down the road on their journey.

THE END


End file.
